Chapter X
Trust
Shang Tsung almost pitied the demon.
She lay motionless on the table in front of him, her breathing reduced to quick gasps every few seconds. It sounded like she had the hiccups. The parts of her flesh that weren't devolved to sickly shades of black and purple were gray like ash. When she finally died—which seemed to be coming any second—she would revert to her true form and probably melt into a putrid, viscous puss.
"She doesn't have much longer," he said. "I can still save her."
"Then save her," Ermac replied. "If you're so invested in healing her, do it already."
"Untie me."
Ermac didn't answer, only glaring at him with cold eyes and arms crossed.
"So, she dies then," he said with a shrug.
He sighed and chafed against his chains. In the grand scheme of things, amidst the coming battle between Onaga and those who would oppose him, poor Sareena was deemed expendable. He doubted even Scorpion would pay her more than the minimum grief. She wouldn't even have the chance to be let down by Raiden's judgment.
He looked around and noted with disgust how little the Sky Temple had changed since he was last there—the only other time he'd been there. Down the hall was Raiden's shrine where he first met his own judgment from the Thunder God. So long ago, and yet he remembered it with wretched clarity.
How different could the destinies of realms and men have been if the gods hadn't condemned him? How much would history have changed if they allowed him to be Champion …
The faint sound of a gong echoed from outside. Likely due to some mysticism, it triggered the ringing of bells and chimes throughout the chamber, signaling someone was at the entrance. To some—Raiden he supposed—it might have seemed musical, but Tsung thought it an awful racket.
Ermac went to the window. "We have visitors. Can't tell who they are from here, but …" He trailed off as he looked into the distance. "We're under attack."
"Oh, lovely," he said. "Who has Onaga sent for us now?"
"Shokan. Perhaps others."
He couldn't say he was surprised to learn a race of half-human dragons would be loyal to the Dragon King—assuming they even knew and weren't sent under false pretenses—but he thought it notable Onaga should send such a force just for them. And to siege Raiden's Sky Temple as well.
Are we measly few such a threat? he wondered. Like summoning a war-hammer for a fly.
"The doors won't open from the outside," Ermac said, still looking out the window. "Whoever's down there will be killed, and the Shokan can keep us trapped up here until Raiden returns."
"And won't that be fun? I'm sure the Thunder God will be thrilled to find myself, you, a demon, and a Cleric of Chaos looting his temple."
Ermac turned to him, his glowing eyes intense and piercing. Though silent, it was clear he was weighing his options. He didn't want to abandon whoever was at the door to their deaths or allow the Shokan to move unchecked. But he also didn't want to leave Tsung unguarded.
He clenched his fist, and the chains binding Tsung tightened. The chair he was tied to slid to the far wall, away from Sareena. "Consider, sorcerer," Ermac said. "Whatever befalls the demon, it will not be us you answer to, but Scorpion."
With that, his body glowed with green energy, and he levitated out the window. He gave the sorcerer a parting glare and dropped.
"Don't tell me we came all this way just for Raiden to not even be here!"
Mileena pushed and pulled at the massive doors but couldn't get them open. They appeared to be made from thick wood and steel, and looking at them, Kitana guessed they could only be opened by someone with greater strength than them or magic. She slammed the gong again and looked toward the Sky Temple's apex, hoping for some sign they were heard.
The Shokan battalion approached. At the head of the troop was none other than Prince Goro himself. As big as his people were in general, he towered over all of them. The ground shook with his footsteps, and his massive frame appeared to be chiseled from stone.
Kitana looked to Mileena, and both knew it was too late to hide. With no choice, she threw the mallet aside and drew her fans. They went to head of the stairway outside the temple's entrance and braced themselves for what was to come. A single four-armed, half-human dragon was deadly enough—she and Mileena were outnumbered twenty (at least) to two.
Goro held up his hand, signaling his men to halt. "Princess Kitana," he said. "And Lady Mileena. You are to come with us."
"On whose authority?"
"I am Prince of the Shokan," he replied, irritated she would question him. "I think that should be authority enough. We have business here that needn't concern you. Come peacefully, and you will be spared. Our master would rather you alive."
"What master would that be?" she asked. "The Dragon King?"
"We needn't be enemies, Princess. The Dragon King values loyalty and cooperation. He's willing to forgive your transgressions if you surrender. Even yours, Lady Mileena. Your deformity can be undone, and you may be a princess again."
She looked to Mileena, and for maybe the first time, couldn't tell what she was thinking. For so long, her "sister" wanted her status—Shao Kahn's approval, her rank, her legitimacy. But she'd convinced herself the way to achieve it was besting her in Mortal Kombat. Was it all the same, even if the Dragon King gave it her?
Would she really be surprised if she accepted? Jade accepted it. For all she knew, Raiden and her Earthrealm allies did as well. And after her mother's betrayal, could anything really surprise her anymore?
Mileena turned to Goro and drew her sai. "I am no princess. I am Shao Kahn's heir and rightful Kahnum of Outworld. I take what I am owed."
"You're making a grave mistake, ladies," Goro said. "Do the two of you really believe you can face us alone?"
"They're not alone."
Green light bathed the land, and a ninja in red and black lowered from the sky. He landed at the foot of the stairway, standing between them and Goro.
"We oppose your mad king, Prince!" Ermac said. "And unless you seek the destruction of all realms, you should fight alongside us!"
Kitana and Mileena exchanged looks, equally surprised Ermac would come to their defense. She looked toward the Sky Temple's apex again, wondering what other random allies might be waiting.
"Bah! What do you know, freak?" Goro said. "The Dragon King has granted us what we all desire. You call him mad because his new world has no place for an abomination like yourself."
"Your Dragon King will kill us all," Ermac said. "It will come slowly, in seeming peace, or all at once in sudden cataclysm. But make no mistake: his reign ends in oblivion either way."
"Enough of this," he said. "Last chance, Kitana! Throw down you weapons and come willingly, and no harm will come to you. You have my word—on the honor of a Shokan."
His words echoed in her mind, and a strange, foggy memory came to her—an image of herself fighting alongside Goro on an Outworld battlefield. In another time, they had been allies once against Shao Kahn. She considered him a friend … until he …
It was then she saw Sheeva standing among their ranks. At the sight of her, cold rage took hold. She had supported Sheeva's claim as Queen of the Shokan. She brokered peace with them and saw her as an ally. They united Outworld.
She helped Shang Tsung bring my mother back, she thought in a black fury. She allowed her to free Shao Kahn … her people betrayed me …
Shaking with anger, she hissed, "I know what Shokan honor is worth."
"You misinterpret my offer, ladies. You are coming with us, one way or another. It's just a matter of whether you come in peace or in pain."
"None of us are strangers to pain, Prince."
With a roar, she hurled her fans at him. The spinning blades dug into his chest, causing him to grunt and fall to the ground. Dripping with blood, the fans flipped back into her hands, and she took a fighting stance, as did Mileena beside her.
"Take them!" Goro snarled, holding his bleeding chest. "Break the doors down! Kill whoever you find inside!"
As he engaged Ermac in combat, the other Shokan charged. The first to reach the stairway was stunned by Mileena's Teleport Kick. She quickly followed with a Sai Throw at the next one and a roundhouse kick at the one behind him. Kitana swept up her first attacker with a Fan Lift, and then met the next two with fan slashes.
She ceased to care about sparing her opponents' lives. She allowed the trance of battle to take hold and focused only on cutting down as many of her enemies as she could. Much Shokan blood was spilled before they landed a single blow. Though in constant movement, she kept her eyes on Sheeva, who awaited her chance to join the fray.
Ermac held his own against Goro, but she knew they couldn't last long against such odds. The half-human dragons were strong with thick skin and heavy bones. Although Kitana and Mileena were swift, sooner or later they'd be overwhelmed. If they had any more allies in the Sky Temple, they'd need them soon.
A Shokan leapt into the air at her, intent on crushing her beneath his feet. She caught him in another Fan Lift but was left open to a shoulder-block that sent her tumbling into the dirt. Though dazed, she held onto her weapons and saw Mileena get caught by another pair of Shokan nearby. One held her wrists, allowing his partner to bowl her over with a punch to the gut. A rising knee sent her flipping through the air and into the dirt alongside Kitana.
They didn't realize until too late that they should've coordinated their attacks around assisting Ermac. As powerful as he was, even he couldn't concentrate on Goro and the surrounding Shokan at the same time. In desperation, he floated into the air and roared. Blinding green light engulfed Goro and his troops and threw them back in a heap.
Catching his breath, Ermac backed to Kitana and Mileena. "We must get inside. We can bottleneck them at the entrance."
"What of Raiden?" Kitana asked. "Who else is here?"
"The Thunder God isn't in," he said. "We don't have—"
The doors to the Sky Temple clanked and creaked open. Another ninja emerged, this one clad in yellow and black—a sword in one hand and a roped kunai in the other. Kitana hesitated upon seeing another unexpected ally.
Scorpion had come.
"Demon? Do you still live?"
Sareena stirred with a sharp gasp of air. She convulsed and writhed on the table. Seeing her in this state, Tsung knew she was likely delirious. She could be swayed into freeing him, he considered. But being a demon, she could also just as easily go feral in her final moments.
"Sareena," he said, keeping his voice gentle. "Sareena, listen to me. You're dying. There's no help for you here. Only me."
She blinked and stared into space. She might have heard him, but she wasn't seeing him.
"You don't have much time," he continued. "You know what might happen if you die here? You understand, don't you? You may cease to exist altogether. Or damned to the 5th Plane of the Netherealm. You know what that means, don't you?"
She sucked in air with a choked gasp. "… I-I know the 5th Plane …" she said, her voice strained and barely audible. "… Shinnok … put me there … when I … betrayed them …"
"Yes," he said. "You understand that is where the worst tortures occur. The worst torture. You don't want to go back there, do you?"
"… they … hurt me …"
"It doesn't have to end here, Sareena. Just let me loose, and I will heal you. You have my word."
Fear came to her eyes, and her breathing became panicked hiccups. "… I see him. … it's him … Drahmin … he … he's waiting for me … he wants me back …"
A strangled scream emerged that turned into an inhuman snarl. She convulsed again, and dread came to Tsung as he realized she was about to die right in front of him. "No, no, no," he said. "Not yet. I need you to free me."
Her human form wavered, and for a brief moment, he glimpsed what she really was—a wretched beast completely unlike the beautiful human form she possessed. Oddly, it made him think of his own true form. How long had it been since he looked upon himself as he truly was?
He put it aside and tried to think. Upsetting Sareena only seemed to make her worse. If she was going to survive long enough to free him, he needed her calm. That meant he needed to comfort her.
Simple enough. He'd seen mortals do it plenty of times. Or, at least, he was aware of the practice. All he had to do was feed her some meaningless platitudes and put her mind at ease. How hard could it be?
"Sareena," he said. "It's okay. You're going to make it. You … erm … you're strong, and you will … everything's going to be fine." He paused, struggling to think of something else. "You … everything's going to be … fine?"
This is what I've been reduced to.
He was about to speak again, when he heard creaking. He thought it was the wind, but it was followed another, louder groan and a crunch that seemed to come from outside. For a moment, he thought Ermac returned, but it occurred to him Ermac would simply levitate back up. This, whatever it was, sounded like something climbing the walls outside.
Shokan. Perhaps others, Ermac had said of their attackers. Who else would the Dragon King send?
More creaking, and it seemed to be coming from different directions. And at least one source was inside the temple with them, but Tsung saw nothing. That was when he realized.
Yes, he thought. The Shokan would bar the entrance and keep them from escaping. Maybe even break the doors down. And with all attention fixed on them, no one would think to defend from the invisible foes scaling the walls—Zaterrans.
"Sareena," he said. "I realize you're in a bad way right now. But we are out of time. If you don't untie me—now—we are both going to die."
Her hiccup breaths had reduced to one every several seconds. They were getting shallower every time. She was motionless, and her eyes were rolled up.
"Sareena? You need to let me loose!" He strained against his bonds, and fear at last came to Shang Tsung as louder creaking both outside and inside the temple closed in. "Sareena! Can you hear me?! Sareena!"
She didn't move. Her breathing stopped.
He stared at her, eyes bulging, until his view was blocked by a Zaterran warrior becoming visible in front of him. The creature licked his lips and grinned, revealing sharp teeth that glistened with venomous drool.
"Isn't this a surprissse …"
Wasting no time, Scorpion cracked his rope like a whip, and the kunai slashed a charging Shokan across the face. With blood pouring down his face, he offered no defense when Ermac sent him tumbling back down the stairs with a stiff blow to the chest.
"Where is Havik?" he asked. "We can't hold them off for long."
"There's more he needs to learn from the library upstairs," Scorpion replied, rubbing his neck. "He said to buy as much time as we can give him."
"Wait," Kitana said. "Havik? The Cleric from the Chaos Realm?"
"Strange circumstances have led to strange alliances," Ermac said. "How dire must things be for you and your clone to fight side by side, Princess?"
With the doors to the Sky Temple open, they backed inside and used the narrow quarters to their advantage. The Shokan, already large and overcrowded, quickly piled on top of one another in their efforts to swarm the warriors and only left themselves vulnerable.
Sword in hand, Scorpion cut and slashed at every four-armed beast in sight. Kitana, despite never fighting by his side before, easily slipped into sync with him—keeping multiple attackers at bay. Mileena hurled her sai into a Shokan's face before leaping onto another and tearing into his flesh with her teeth. Ermac utilized his telekinesis to brutal effect.
Blood pooled at the Sky Temple's entrance and trickled down the stairs outside. Flesh tore and bones shattered. Most of the Shokan who walked away from the fight did so with lasting scars and missing some of their four arms.
But it was only borrowed time. Kitana turned to see Scorpion struck by a blow with enough force to slam him into the ground. Dazed, he failed to defend against the follow-up kick to the chest that sent him tumbling.
She sprang to his aid, slashing his attacker first across the neck, and then an upward cut that slit him open from navel to chin. The Shokan gurgled as his insides spilled out in front of him, and he fell into another Shokan behind him.
Kitana tended to Scorpion, who was dripping with sweat. "Are you okay? Can you stand?"
"My neck," he said, gritting his teeth. "I don't know what's wrong. My neck … my back hurts …"
She had noticed he didn't appear to be a spectre anymore and assumed he couldn't withstand the same damage as he could then. Unfortunately, she had little time to think on it, as she turned only to be overwhelmed by a phalanx of Shokan arms. She endured some powerful blows of her own before getting slammed into the floor herself.
Nearby, Mileena suffered a similar fate and barely dove to safety before her attackers could stomp her into paste. They had cut down or maimed a dozen Shokan, but that still left another ten or so, including Goro. The half-human dragons were too resilient and too strong to hold off much longer.
Ermac bellowed. In a blinding flash of green light, the swarming warriors were hurled away. Having bought them a brief respite, he stumbled and sank to a knee—the battle taking its toll on even him.
"To the lift," he said, his breathing ragged. "We can't hold them here. We need to plan our—"
He didn't finish. Goro himself stormed through the temple doors and snatched Ermac's wrists with his bottom set of arms and grasped his head with the upper pair. Ermac groaned as his arms were pulled and his head squeezed. He feebly kicked at Goro's midsection, but to no effect as the Shokan Prince aimed to simultaneously tear him apart and crush his skull.
He was saved when Kitana slashed at Goro's knee with her fans and both Scorpion and Mileena hit with jumping kicks to the face. The Prince staggered and slipped on the pool of blood on the floor. The ground shook when he fell flat on his back.
Scorpion helped Ermac to his feet and passed him to Mileena. "Take him," he said, wincing in pain. "We have to get to the upper levels."
While Mileena led Ermac to the lift, Scorpion rubbed his neck and stumbled. Dripping sweat, his face was bright red and etched in pain. He growled and looked as though he would burst out of his own skin.
"Scorpion," Kitana said, going to him. "What's wrong?"
"My head," he said, his voice strained and harsh. "… feels like it's on fire …"
"Let me help you," she said, taking him by the arm. "We can—"
"LOOK OUT!"
He shoved her aside. Kitana could only watch in horror as Sheeva throttled him with a devastating double-punch. She may have meant to hit her but paid little mind and pressed her assault on Scorpion. She finished with an uppercut, using all four of her fists, that launched him through the air and slammed him into the temple wall.
He sank to the ground, barely conscious, and Kitana screamed when Sheeva launched her Searing Blast fireball at him. Goro shot a fireball of his own that shattered the walls and buried him in rubble and stone.
Shang Tsung was not unfamiliar with death. He'd certainly killed countless people in his time and come distressingly close more than once himself. Though he would fight it as long as he could, he always hoped when death did finally claim him, it would be a somewhat dignified end.
For a time, he thought having his life force and power transferred to Sindel at Shao Kahn's whim was the most humiliating way to meet his doom. But sitting there, bound to a chair in Raiden's Sky Temple and about to be executed by a nameless Zaterran with no one but a dead demon to keep him company … of all the ways to die, this had to be the dumbest.
"Lord Syzoth will be pleased," the Zaterran said. "It will be my honor to presssent him with your head."
"'Lord?'" he repeated. "I'm to understand Reptile … Reptile … is a lord among you people?"
He held Tsung by the face and raised his claws to strike. But without warning, he stiffened and his back arched. Eyes wide and confused, he turned to find Sareena barely standing and with dripping kama blades in her hands. Mustering what strength she had left, she slashed his throat, and the Zaterran crumbled to the floor gurgling and choking on his own blood.
"I'm impressed, demon," Tsung said as she collapsed to her knees. "You have some will in you."
Her breathing was strained, and she barely had the energy to look at him. "You're going to heal me."
"Now you're talking sense," he said, smiling. "Just untie me, and—"
"No," she interrupted. "Heal me first. Then I untie you."
He frowned, and more creaking and crunching echoed around them. The Zaterran she killed may have been the first one in, but many of his friends were on their way—Reptile included, most likely.
"That's cute, Sareena. But we don't have time for—"
"No, we don't. You heal me first … or we both die … right here."
"You're not in a position to bargain. You need me."
"And you need me," she said without hesitation. "Here's how I see it … I untie you, and you throw me aside … and I'm dead. I don't untie you … the Zaterrans come and rip us apart. I'm dead either way … so why shouldn't I let you come with me?"
He almost insisted he would honor his part of the bargain but knew she wouldn't believe him. And, loathe as he was to admit it, she was right to. He never had any intention of healing her, and if she released him, he would just slap her out of his way and escape. Maybe even kill her himself.
Have I become that predictable?
"Why should I trust you?" he asked. "How do I know if I heal you, you won't leave me here?"
"How do I know … you won't betray me … even after you heal me? We're just going to have to … roll the dice together." She managed to look him in the eye. "One demon to another."
"Fine," he said. "Come closer. This would be easier if I wasn't bound, mind you."
"I'm sure you'll manage," she said kneeling in front of him. She then held a kama to his throat and added, "If I hear your voice in my head … or any voice that isn't my own … I will kill you, right here. Understood?"
A seemingly strange threat, but Tsung did understand. She would hear his voice in her mind if he tried to enchant her under his control. The girl was indeed too familiar with sorcerers and their ways.
He was almost beginning to like her.
End of Chapter X
